1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus, a server apparatus, methods for controlling the apparatuses, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has generally been known a Multi Function peripheral (MFP) that houses functions of apparatuses such as a scanner, a printer, a facsimile, and a network transmission apparatus in one case. A web browser is generally used for an operation unit of such an image processing apparatus. As a form for using various functions on an operation screen displayed by the web browser, a method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2008-003833 is known.
According to the method discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2008-003833, the web browser first displays an operation screen regarding an image processing function on an operation unit based on screen information received from an external apparatus on a network. Having received a user's operation by using the operation screen, the web browser once transmits contents of the user's operation to the external apparatus. The web browser receives an execution instruction (script) of an image processing function from the external apparatus as a response to the transmitted operation contents. The web browser generates a Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) message to call up web services provided from the image processing apparatus based on the received execution instruction, and transmits the generated SOAP message to a web service provider to execute the image processing function of the image processing apparatus.
There is an image processing apparatus that controls whether to execute the image processing function based on a state of the web browser when the image processing function indicated by the execution instruction received from the external apparatus is executed. Specifically, it may be presumed that the user has canceled the execution of the image processing function, for example, when the web browser is not displayed, if an instruction to execute the image processing function is received from the external apparatus, and an image processing apparatus cancels execution of the image processing function.
In the image processing apparatus that performs control depending on whether to execute the image processing function based on the state of the web browser, execution of the image processing function indicated by the execution instruction received from the external apparatus, the web browser has to be displayed. To execute the image processing function, therefore, the user must display the web browser, which leads to lack of convenience.